Issue #209: Steve Jobs’ Signal-to-Noise Ratio, the Forgotten Half of Accomplishing Things, and More

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INSIGHTS (on leadership/self-leadership)

Few people are more associated with productivity than Steve Jobs. The Apple founder was legendary for his intensity, ability to focus, and for how much he prioritized prioritization. One of his most powerful concepts on this front recently resurfaced, known as the Signal-to-Noise Ratio – Jobs’ approach for achieving the extraordinary level of results that he’s remembered and revered for.     

It’s deceptively simple. Jobs aimed to accomplish an 80/20 split: 80 percent of his time was dedicated to critical tasks (signal), and no more than 20 percent on distractions or less important tasks (noise).

To make this more concrete, Jobs concentrated on three to five tasks that needed to be completed each day to fulfill his mission, aiming to finish them within 18 hours. Period. Anything else was a distraction. To eliminate distractions, he was brutal. He was often perceived as overly blunt or even rude in his communication style, having very little patience for thoughts or ideas that didn’t align with what was most important. 

His belief in the signal-to-noise ratio carried over in everything he did. He made design decisions that emphasized simplicity and the most important functionality features, while discarding the rest. The 80/20 split dominated everything he touched, whether it was strategy, presentations, or meetings.

Here’s the thing. You instinctively understand this, even if you haven’t heard the term "signal-to-noise ratio.” In fact, I conducted thousands of executive interviews for my LinkedIn Learning course, Top Ten Overlooked Productivity Hacks, and it soon became clear that everyone gets this rule.

So, if it’s something we all know, why are some so much more productive than others?

Commitment to the cause.

How disciplined are you in staying focused on the 80 percent? Do you have any mechanisms in place to help you stay focused? For example, one client of mine is such a believer in the signal-to-noise ratio that they structure their annual employee reviews around it. (As part of the review, they assess how well the employee did on spending their time in the “signal” column versus the “noise” column that year). You don’t have to go this far, but it does beg the following question: 

How might you put structures, procedures, or habits in place to help you be more “signal” focused?

IMPERFECTIONS (a mistake many make)

I write a lot about being mentally strong (I even have a book titled, The Mentally Strong Leader), and I want to discuss a mistake many make.

Most people would say that to be able to accomplish something, you need resilience. You need to know how to push through until you reach the finish line. And, yes, of course, that’s important. But if you really want to get better at accomplishing more, you have to remember this:

It’s as much about getting to the starting line as it is getting to the finish line.

Research is clear on the importance of just getting started on something, and why it’s so difficult to do so. It’s what brain scientists call cognitive load theory, which says that “your brain uses far more energy when initiating a task than when you're already in the flow.” It’s kind of like jump-starting a dead car battery on a cold morning.

So, what’s the key to just getting started, then?

Getting better at navigating the moment before the work.

It’s about identifying a transition point that would lead you directly into the work that you want to get started on, then powering through that transition point without overthinking it.

For example, exercise is important to me, but that doesn’t mean I’m always in the mood for it. Sometimes, I dread hitting the weight machine (which I do before cardio). So, I identified a transition point; putting on my exercise sneakers, filling my water bottle, and snapping off the first set of repetitions. I don’t think about it. I don’t let the sense of dread build up. I just execute that transition point mindlessly, and before you know it, I’m off and running.

Think about something you want to get done but are dreading starting. Now think of the moment before the work, that transition point. What might it be, and how could you power through it to get you going?

IMPLEMENTATION (one research-backed strategy, tip, or tool)

Here’s the simplest of tools for this week’s “Implementation” section.

FEAR can stand for two things.

Forget Everything And Run

or,

Face Everything And Rise 

Which definition will you choose?

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